Chicano Batman Announces New Album 'Notebook Fantasy', First Since 2020 [Video]

The Latino psychedelic-soul peacocks of Chicano Batman have returned at long last with the band’s fifth album, Notebook Fantasy. Out March 29th via ATO Records, the album marks the L.A. band’s first LP since 2020’s Invisible People.

Tuesday’s album announcement came with Notebook Fantasy‘s lead single “Fly” and an extensive slate of new tour dates. The new track arrives by way of Carlos Arévalo‘s slinky, silky guitar leads, guiding “Fly” along until frontman Bardo Martinez commands the song with sex appeal that oozes from the speakers. With a soaring retro climax and a searing guitar solo, the whole thing leans into the machismo of the 1980s in a way that’s endearing even to those younger generations who have to deal with that decade’s lasting consequences. The music video from sisters Juliana and Nicola Giraffe plunges laughably further into those overindulgences, complete with a gold-glittered guitar, fringe cowboy suit, and enough hipthrusting to make Elvis Presley roll over in his grave.

“‘Fly’ is a song that you hope for as a songwriter. Lighting in a bottle, straight up!” The band shared in a statement. “It’s the kind that comes organically from the universe, and if you get out of the way, it takes shape effortlessly into the song it needs to be. Like a river flowing and weaving seamlessly through its banks. This song’s creation process was euphoric and full of many inspired and memorable moments in the studio from beginning to end. We hope those sentiments translate to you, the listener!”

For the band’s fifth album in 14 years, Chicano Batman recruited Grammy Award-winning producer John Congleton (Black Pumas, Death Cab For Cutie, Angel Olsen), another symptom of the band’s indie shift in recent years. Also joining Chicano Batman throughout the album is breakout disco-delic vocal trio Say She She, featuring the band’s former backup singer Piya Malik.

To celebrate the release of Notebook Fantasy, Chicano Batman will head out on a massive U.S. tour. Kicking off on April 19th in Las Vegas, the tour is highlighted by a massive hometown show at L.A.’s Kia Forum on June 29th, the band’s largest headlining concert to date. Tickets for the tour go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time, with a fan pre-sale beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. local. For more information visit the band’s website. Scroll down for a full list of tour dates.

Check out the new Chicano Batman single “Fly” below or on your preferred streaming platform and pre-order Notebook Fantasy here.

Chicano Batman – “Fly” [Official Video]

Notebook Fantasy Tracklist:

1. Live Today

2. Notebook Fantasy

3. Parallels

4. Beautiful Daughter

5. Era Primavera

6. Fly

7. Lei Lá

8. Tears Away (feat. Say She She)

9. The Way You Say It (feat. Say She She)

10. Hojas Secas

11. Losing My Mind (feat. Say She She)

12. Fairytale Love (feat. Say She She)

View Tracklist

Chicano Batman Tour Dates

4/19 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl*

4/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren*

4/21 – Albuquerque, NM – The El Rey Theater*

4/22 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace*

4/24 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre*

4/25 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall*

4/26 – Austin, TX – Austin Psych Fest @ The Far Out Lounge*

4/27 – Dallas, TX – The Factory*

4/28 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues*

5/1 – Bentonville, AR – The Momentary*

5/2 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall*

5/3 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl*

5/4 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival

5/7 – Richmond, VA – The National*

5/8 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*

5/9 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Steel*

5/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club*

5/11 – North Adams, MA – Hunter Center Mass MoCa*

5/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer*

5/15 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone*

5/16 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue*

5/17 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed*

5/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater*

6/20 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre*

6/21 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater*

6/22 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory*

6/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot*

6/25 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre*

6/26 – Taos, NM – Taos Mesa Brewing Mothership

6/28 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

6/29 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum*^

6/30 – San Francisco, CA – TBA

8/29 – Amsterdam, NL – Tolhuistuin

8/31 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Psych Fest

9/3 – London, UK – Lafayette

9/4 – Paris, FR – La Maroquinerie

Openers:

* Lido Pimienta

^ The Red Pears

View Tour Dates